Critique of my efforts from the homeless shelter

My local homeless shelter receives donations for their thrift shop, and not surprisingly the donations include a lot of junk. I have a good relationship with the Pastor, and he lets me glean through their scrap in return for part of the proceeds. Yesterday I spent all day tearing down electronics, while one of the homeless men sat and watched me for several hours while chain smoking his cigarettes. At supper time he walked past me toward the dining hall and told me "That's a lot of work. Hardly seems worth it".
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Congratulations on being innovative. And that's why he's homeless and always will be. A perfect illustration of the argument for "a hand up" vs "a handout". He should have been doing what you were doing. I hope you don't mind me posting this to some other sites I belong to.

No, I don't mind at all if you share it. However, to be fair this is a very well run shelter. No drugs, no alcohol. A time limit is imposed for getting some kind of job and a lodging fee is required after a few weeks. A plan for each person is established to move them from being homeless to self sufficient, even if govt assistance is required. If the person does not make reasonable progress, they are referred to another facility that caters to their "disposition" to make room for another person that is trying to change their life.

It may increase your competition but showing those that want to learn how to scrap could help those that want to be helped. Could be like a job training program to get them started. Also could be a good source for you to get some help breaking down scrap.

This story reminds me of one of my own. In high school I was working at a restaurant. One day I was taking out the trash and a homeless man asks me for some money, I tell him I can't help him. I do tell him if he goes through the dumpster hes sure to get around 20 pounds of aluminum cans, he tells me "That's too much work". You can give a man a fish he can eat today, you can teach a man to fish he can eat forever.

Before we pass judgement to any person and in special the homeless, i think we should use a little caution , every person is different and can be suffering all kinds of health Issues, mental problem is one of them .

Before post a derogatory opinion ,all the factors must be evaluated.

We live in a democracy were all the differences has to be treated with tolerance respect and compassion.:cool:

I have learned to not cast judgment on anybody. The homeless situation is just plain sad period, I have been all over the world. Places in Europe do a better job in dealing with it than we do here. There are some places overseas you just can't even comprehend, anyway I couldn't. As a military veteran, I know a majority of our homeless are vets just like me and maybe you! There's as many reasons for causes as grains of sand on a beach. As an individual I will rarely give a "hand out", especially "spare change", that never seems to work (my opinion). I do donate monthly to "The homeless women and childrens foundation of Los Angeles" and have done this for more than 25 years now. I hire homeless men anytime I have an open position and a candidate that shows a willingness to work an honest day for better than minimum wage. Most don't stay long, and some do excellent work. I know I tried and so did they, I plan to never not help those in need. I have had a great life so far (hopeful I always will), that homeless person could be me or you!

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Originally Posted by ginofrater

Before we pass judgement to any person and in special the homeless, i think we should use a little caution , every person is different and can be suffering all kinds of health Issues, mental problem is one of them .

Before post a derogatory opinion ,all the factors must be evaluated.

We live in a democracy were all the differences has to be treated with tolerance respect and compassion.:cool:

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I say this with the utmost respect. We do NOT live in a democracy and I don't believe that everyone has to be treated the same way. There are so many people in this world that I have met, that I will never have respect, or have tolerance for. Compassion, maybe.

With that aside, yes Gino, there are so many with problems that we can not comprehend. The trauma and stress from war among them. Most of us can't begin to understand what that is like. Not to mention neurological or biological disorders that do not show on the surface.

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Originally Posted by parrothead

I say this with the utmost respect. We do NOT live in a democracy and I don't believe that everyone has to be treated the same way. There are so many people in this world that I have met, that I will never have respect, or have tolerance for. Compassion, maybe.

With that aside, yes Gino, there are so many with problems that we can not comprehend. The trauma and stress from war among them. Most of us can't begin to understand what that is like. Not to mention neurological or biological disorders that do not show on the surface.

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Sorry to hear that coming from you, but we never know if one have any neurological or biological disorders that do not show on the surface ,as you mention, then i just say sorry to read your post.

We have to be tolerant ,respectful and compassionate.

Sorry Again.

I'm actually sorry to read this thread to begin with. Nothing like bashing real people and wanting to pass the bashing to other forums. Seriously? Who are we to judge?

I think the OP could have left out the comment and snarky use of the emoticon to make fun of a homeless person who made a comment to him. Wow, I expected better from here :(

Wow. Lighten up you pansies.

I posted this in "A day in the life of a scrapper" because it was a story about a day in my life as a scrapper. I actually volunteer in this homeless shelter, and have for 11 years now, so I'm pretty familiar with the the multitude of reasons for the ongoing saga of homelessness, and what social and volunteer services are available for assistance. I have been out of a "real" job for more than 2 years and am working to become sufficient in my new line of work. As a scrapper.

I was gonna tell you about the great bin of scrap I got, but thought this was a more interesting story that might give someone a little determination.

Bravo erewen!! :winner: of a good response. I spent a good part of the morning tearin' apart flat screens and trying to convince myself to stay out of it.

BUT

Seems to me all OP did was relate an experience, I did not take it that he passed any particular judgment or dissed the homeless fella. The sad fact is many segments of our society see an honest days labor as "more work than it is worth". Then there are those of us who see a ten pound bag of screws meticulously saved over the course of a weeks tear down as a Saturday Matinee Movie Ticket with their Girl (Granddaughters rock) that was not in the budget before a little extra time was taken to save the screws. Value is a relative thing. Sadly we for the most part have become a nation of "Gimme Instant Gratification" and have forgotten that a penny saved is a penny earned.

The old fart will now step off his soap box and return to pinching them pennies.

Been homeless for a short period of time and thanks to scrap metal (and getting sober) I have done OK for myself..........Many people hooked on drugs and alcohol need long term treatment they cannot get....I myself know for a fact it took nearly two years of treatment for me to be ready to enter society sober and be able to stay that way

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Originally Posted by mikeinreco

Been homeless for a short period of time and thanks to scrap metal (and getting sober) I have done OK for myself..........Many people hooked on drugs and alcohol need long term treatment they cannot get....I myself know for a fact it took nearly two years of treatment for me to be ready to enter society sober and be able to stay that way

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Congrats and thanks for sharing, we need positive examples like yours.

You have my respect and admiration!!!

It's great the homeless have a shelter to go to, where they can get away from the often undeserved attitudes they meet on the streets, and observe the ethics of fine upstanding citizens who volunteer to pitch in so selflessly of their time, temper, expertise, and positive attitudes

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Originally Posted by erewen

My local homeless shelter receives donations for their thrift shop, and not surprisingly the donations include a lot of junk. I have a good relationship with the Pastor, and he lets me glean through their scrap in return for part of the proceeds. Yesterday I spent all day tearing down electronics
:&

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"For part of the proceeds" ?? Hmmm, places where I've been, that wasn't called "volunteering"

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Originally Posted by erewen

Wow. Lighten up you pansies.

I actually volunteer in this homeless shelter......in my new line of work. As a scrapper.

I was gonna tell you about the great bin of scrap I got....If it offends you, you'll have to untwist your own panties. I'm not interested in seeing more of your a-hole than what you've already shown.
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I'm thinking the disappointed replies you got here were more attuned to an attitude, and it's more than obvious who has that......and who's showing us what

Homeless or not many people look at what we do and make the same statement!
"That's a lot of work. Hardly seems worth it".

And just the other day I gave a homeless guy a bike as I had a few of them and he needed one. Hardly seemed worth it for me it give this guy a bike I could make money on, some would say. But somethings are worth more than money! Just like you working at the shelter!

I bet my family, coworkers (at primary job), and any quote unquote "normal person" would say the exact same thing this homeless man did.

What was said has nothing to do with him being homeless, mental ill or otherwise.

I have a dad who looks at his nice 8-9pm job as security instead of the life leech that it is.

OP you know what you are upset about? Resistance of going against the accepted norm.
Now the man was homeless and maybe he should open his mind
before being a 'critic', but what he said is not just limited to him.

This whole society is messed up, this whole country has it's priorities all wrong.

You think he is the only one that is homeless that will expect something to be given to him?
Think about the future WHEN (not IF) the economy collapses.

How many more will be homeless just like him? How many more will act like him?

I am compassionate with him as being homeless is like an emotional pain that eats at you from the inside out.

But I do know one thing... you do not have to be rich to be a CRITIC.

Be compassionate to the ignorant as you were once ignorant. Be glad you are blessed to now know what you do.


“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
― Socrates

[QUOTE=Bear;172634]It's great the homeless have a shelter to go to, where they can get away from the often undeserved attitudes they meet on the streets, and observe the ethics of fine upstanding citizens who volunteer to pitch in so selflessly of their time, temper, expertise, and positive attitudes


I hope to finish this conversation since I respect many of your opinions and advice given freely on the forum.

My volunteering activities at the homeless shelter are separate from the scrapping activities. Been volunteering there on a monthly+ for 11 years, starting with serving meals to eventually being elected to chair of the board of directors overseeing operations (on a VOLUNTEER basis). I have been scrapping since I lost my job two years ago, but have had a break in my own activity recently, having had 2 heart surgeries this summer while tending to my wife's needs, who just finished a 1 year treatment regimen for cancer.

This specific scrapping opportunity just arose within the past few weeks because the Pastor wanted to establish a mutually beneficial arrangement, in the little cash flow to be had from the scrap. I did not propose the business proposition to him because that would be entering into a bit of an ethical grey area for me. This opportunity was proposed to me because he said the mission wanted to give something back to me for what I have done for them.

Generally, people who scrap are familiar with the tougher side of life, so I was a bit surprised at the lecturing to be more sensitive. Men end up at homeless shelters for a variety of reasons, but none are gods for whom we must tremble when we whisper their name, and most are not even angels. Actually, they are just like you and me.

Yeah, you can say I have an attitude when being told to be more sensitive. I'm VOLUNTEERING my time to help connect them with assistance programs (housing, medical, psychiatric, substance abuse, etc) while maintaining a clean and safe shelter and hot meals. At the same time I am WORKING along side of these guys, getting my hands cut and dirty while scrapping. I know them by name, and I'll tell them to their face when they need to get off their butt.

So lecture me from your theoretical sensitive side if you must. But get off your own butt and show me how sensitive you are by your actions rather than your words.

(******https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...e885&zw&atsh=1****)


You were not volunteering ,you were scraping at the homeless shelter for money or you want to change your original posting ?

As for your posting and language used ,i am using tolerance respect and compassion .

This thread won't help this forum on achieve its purposes, and for this i am not posting on it anymore.

Thin skin? :D

Hah! The irony of the first post... ohhh the irony!!!!!

(and I don't mean irony aluminum either!)

:)

Well good luck to you sir it seems you have it all figured out :)

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while one of the homeless men sat and watched me for several hours while chain smoking his cigarettes

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Perhaps you should have left out the negative description and connotation your words evoked then.

I have edited several posts for comments directed to specific members. Please keep this in mind.

Thanks.

Wow surprised this thread caused such an uproar

I want to apologize with you Erewen, I think we're all gettin in to a pretty tough slump here, and yours seems to be particularly rough. It doesn't seem to be getting much better for any of us, but I do hope your wife's cancer is in remission, and i hope your heart is doing well. I'll be hoping mine is also(and not just the physical one). And the guy who said it's a lot of work, he was only being honest ; )

Actually Bear, my wife and I are both doing remarkably well, thanks. She started back to work a few weeks ago, and it's good that I can get back into the game. I do remember when you posted about your heart problems a while back. It's kind of hard to describe what a toll it takes on a person - not having any external signs of problems but not able do much of anything is weird.

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Originally Posted by newattitude

Perhaps you should have left out the negative description and connotation your words evoked then.

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The incident occurred as I described. Please enlighten me and rephrase this in a way that is more accurate.

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Originally Posted by mikeinreco

Wow surprised this thread caused such an uproar

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I am too. The closer to the street a scrapper is, I suspect he sees homelessness on a regular basis, and has either been there or pretty close to it himself. It's natural to feel sorry for a man who is at the pits of his existence and reduced to a life you can hardly imagine. One of my (alcoholic) brothers was homeless for at least a year - and that's a tough gig in Wisconsin. While I'm sure that he was a pitiful sight to strangers, those just passing by could not see the years of chaos that caused family and friends to finally turn their backs to him.

I interact on a personal level with homeless men on a regular basis so I don't consider the subject taboo. It is what it is. It doesn't really evoke a great deal of pity response in me, but a problem solving effort. If a man wants to change his life, there are certain things he can do. Some of these require great effort on his part. If he is unable or unwilling to climb these mountains, his condition will remain.

This does not include mental illness - that is a whole 'nother story and requires medical intervention.

Working with homeless men requires discernment, since resources are limited. Some of the men just had a few tough breaks but will not stay down long. And there are some people who just take advantage other's generosity and pity for as long as they can, and then they move onto the next sucker.

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Originally Posted by ginofrater

(******https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...e885&zw&atsh=1****)


You were not volunteering ,you were scraping at the homeless shelter for money or you want to change your original posting ?

As for your posting and language used ,i am using tolerance respect and compassion .

This thread won't help this forum on achieve its purposes, and for this i am not posting on it anymore.

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Well, friend, I just told a simple story and got a sh1tstorm in response telling me what an ass I am. I was not expecting to have to give a detailed account of my life history with this shelter to earn your tolerance, respect, and compassion. If you desire additional details, please pm me. I will be as forthright in my account as you desire, and will put you in touch with the Board of Directors and the Executive Director and Pastor of the mission.

Calling me a liar is not tolerant, respectful, or compassionate.

Ah well. Such is a day in the life of a scrapper.